Control mechanism for door latches



y 7, 1953 E. L. ALLEN 2,644,712

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR DOOR LATCI-IES :Qriginal Filed Feb. is, 1948 2 B R R FIG. I INVENTO/E. EDWIN L. ALLEN A TTORNEYS' Patented July 7, 1953 CONTROL MECHANISM FOR DOOR LATCHES Edwin L. Allen, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor, by mesne-assignments, to Rudolph I; Schonitzer,

Cleveland, Ohio Original application February 16, 1948, Serial No.

8,565, now Patent No. 2,573,679, dated Novemher 6, 1951.

Divided and this application August 18 1951, Serial-No. 242,476

11 Claims.

This invention relatesto door latching and locking mechanisms and more particularly to certain improvements in apparatus for manually effecting release of a door latch from its. latched or door closed position.

In the latching and locking of the doors of automotive vehicles or the like, it has been proposed to use latch mechanisms of various types. A very successful device for this purpose is illustrated and described in the Rudolph I. Schonit- Zer United States Patent No. 2,094,413, and; another embodiment of the same general type of door controlmechanismis illustrated and described in my copending United States patent application Serial No. 746,521, filed May 7, 1947. In the door control mechanisms illustrated in said patent and application the latching apparatus includes coacting elements associated with the door and door frame structures whereby the door may be latched and held in closed position or released from closed position to permit opening thereof, and a detent whereby one of the coacting elements, which may be termed the latch member, is rele'asably retained in its operative or door latched position when the'door is closed. After the detent of this type of mechanism is moved by suitable manually operable means to release the latch member and'permit opening of the door, the latch member is moved concurrently with the initial door opening movement into an operated or door unlatched position which is different from its above-mentioned operative or door latched position and remains in this operated position until the door is again. closed. Means are also provided for locking the mechanism to prevent unauthorized opening of the door, which means effect locking of the door by blocking the detent, together with the parts.

of the latch mechanism proper which are di-- rectly associated with the detent for actuation thereof, against movement from latch restraining to latch released position.

In door control installations of the type referredto, manually operable meansv is provided, such as a push button or handle assembly; for elfecting movement of the detent from its latch restraining to its latch released position. In the apparatus of the said Schonitzer patent and of my said copending U. S. patent application such manually operable means is also blocked against movement from its neutral or non-operating: position into operating or latch releasing position when the locking means is positioned to block the detent against movement into latch released position. In some instances this arrangement is considered undesirable because, if the mechanism is locked and an effort is made to open the. door by operating the handle or push button, excessive force may be applied thereon with resulting damage to the latchmechanism, etc. The same diflicult may be encountered in installations of other types of door latches where looking blocks the handle against movement.

Accordingly, it is among the objects of the present invention to provide. safety means for permitting the manually operable handle, push button, or the like of a door latching and looking installation to be moved by the operator in its normal path from its neutral or non-operat ing position to its operating or latch releasing position regardless of Whether the latch mechanism, and particularly the part thereof which is directly engaged by the manually operable unit, is free to move or is locked against movement.

Other objects of my invention include: the

provision of a manually operable control unit for door latches or the like whereby only a predetermined permissible maximum load may be imposed upon the latch mechanism upon operation of the manual unit, thus preventing damage to the latch unit; the provision of manually operable control'means for a door latch mechanism which is effective when the latch mechanism is unlocked to cause release thereof but which, when the latch mechanism is locked, may be moved without releasing the latch mechanism; the provision of a safety handle assembly for door latches or the like which includes a yieldable safety member and is adapted to movebetween two extreme positions, in one of which the handle is blocked against further movement by engagement with a rigid member arranged to block the handle against further movement before the yieldable member has. built up its maximum load on the latch mechanism; the provision of a safety handle assembly all moving parts of which, are held under spring tension at all times, thus preventing objectionable rattles, etc.; and the provision of a compact, rugged, effective, and economical manually operable unit for controlling the operation of door latches or the like whereby the possibility of damage to the latch unit is effectively prevented.

The above and other objects of my invention Will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment. thereof, reference. being 3 motive vehicle or the like showing one embodiment of my improved safety handle assembly.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1 and illustrating the safet handle assembly together with the essential parts of the latch mechanism with which it is associated, the latch mechanism being shown in door latched position and. the handle assembly being shown in neutral or non-operative position.

Figure 3 is a detached vertical cross-sectional view of the safety handle assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2, taken substantially on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View generally similar to Figure 3 but taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 2, the door with which my apparatus is associated includes an outer panel I and an inner panel 2 connected at the free edge of the door by a wall 3. The usual window glass is indicated at G and its glass run channel is'seen at G. It will, of course, be understood that my latch control or actuating apparatus may be employed with various types of doors and with other closure members and with various kinds of latch mechanisms. The illustrated latch mechanism is of the type described and claimed in my said copending United States patent application Serial No. 746,521 and includes a latch member L adapted to coact with a keeper pin (not shown) on the adjacent door frame. This latch mechanism also includes a frame structure generally indicated at F mounted on the inner side of the edge wall 3 and an actuating member in the form of an arm 4 suitably supported by the frame F. This actuating member is adapted to effect release of the latch member L from its door latched position when moved inwardly from the position shown in Figure 2.

Also included in the latch mechanism, but not illustrated herein as the details thereof form no part of the present invention, is a locking means for locking the latch mechanism to prevent re' lease of the latch member L from its door latched position. For purposes of the present description it will be sufficient to point out that when the locking means is unlocked the actuating member or arm 4 may be moved between its non-operating or neutral position shown in Figure 2 while, when the locking mechanism is locked, the actuating member or arm 4 is maintained substantially in its neutral or non-operating position as seen in Figure 2. A locking rod B, shown in cross-section in Figure 2, is connected to the locking member R which is pivotally supported at R. Rod B extends upwardly therefrom through the garnish molding for operation from inside the door. When the operator desires to lock the door from the inside, he pushes rod B downwardly, which movement causes the locking member R to block movement of arm 4 in latch releasing direction. Conversely, lifting of rod B releases the arm 4 to permit movement thereof in latch releasing portion 6d. In order pivotally to support the handle 56 and bracket 51 a pin 65 extends through the walls 62 and 63 of housing H and is retained in position as by riveting its ends as indicated in Figure 3. The side walls 58and 59 of bracket 51 aresuita'bly apertured to receive pin 65 which forms an axis of rotation for handle 56 and bracket 51.

A tubular guide sleeve 66 has its outer end portion flared as seen at 66' and is supported on the bracket 5? by a generally hemispherical projection or boss 67. Carried by the sleeve 66 for sliding movement therein is a plunger member 68. Slots 59 in sleeve 66 accommodate a tranw versely extending'pin '19 which extends through the plunger 53 into the slots 69 to limit the sliding movement of the plunger in the sleeve. A flange or spring abutment member H has a sliding fit on the sleeve 66 adjacent its inner end and a return spring 72' is disposed around the plunger 68 and abuts flange H at its outer end and a sleeve 73 at its inner end. This sleeve Abutments l5 and T5 are bent inwardly from the side plates 62 and B3 of housing H" (see Figures 2 and 3) and, coact with stop portions IT- on the side walls 58 and 59 of bracket 5! to limit movement of handle 56 toward the door panel 'I. In Figure 2 the handle 56 and bracket 51 are shown in their neutral or non-operating positions, the stops H being in engagement with the abutments l5 and .15. Movement of the handle 56 and bracket 51 in operating direction islimited by engagement of the inner edges 18 of side walls 58 and 59 of bracket 51 with the end wall 54 of housing I-lj; This limiting engagement is seen in'Figure 2 in the dot and dash line position of bracketg5l. Operating engagement of the contact member .or plunger 58 with the actuating-memberor arm v l of the latch mechanism is made by the rounded inner end 68. of plunger 68, (see F urefi') and the operation of the apparatu is as follows. 1

Assuming that the latch mechanism is unlocked and the actuating member or arm 4 is free to move from its non-operating or neutral position seen in Figure 2 into its operating or latch releasing position as has been previously described, when the operator pulls outwardly on handle 55 the bracket 5'! is rotated in counterclockwise direction (Figure-2) about its pivotal support 65. This movement causes the sleeve 66 and spring 74 to move inwardly carrying therewith the flange H and pin 19 against which flange -!I normally abuts as seen in Figure 4. As pin 19 is carried by plunger 68 corresponding inward movement is imparted to plunger 63 and transmitted to the arm 4 to effect latch releasing movement thereof. During this movement of plunger 68 and flange H the return spring i2 is compressed. However the safety spring M, which is preferably preloaded when installed, is not substantially compressed because its resistance to compression is greater than the force required to mOVe' the arm 4 into latch releasing position. Thus, when the latch mechanism is unlocked, the handle'56, bracket 57, sleeve 66, and plunger 68 move as a unit, the plunger 6&3

being guided by the fixed sleeve 13 on the hous-' ing 1-1" and limited angular movement of the plunger and sleeve assembly being permitted. by the ball and socket connection between the end 66 of plunger 66 and the boss 61 on bracket 51. When the operator releases the handle, the return spring 12, acting upon the bracket 51 through the flange H, relatively stiff spring 1-4, and the outer end portion 66 of sleeve 66, moves the bracket 5! and arm 56 back into neutral or non-operating position as seen in full lines in Figure 2. 7

If the latch actuating member or arm 4 is locked against movement and the. operator pulls outwardly on the handle 56, the plunger 66 will notmove inwardly as it will. be prevented from doing so by the arm; 4. The flange H is also. held against inward movement by its engagement with the pin 10 in the plunger 68. However the sleeve.

66 may move inwardly over. the. plunger lifl due to the slots 69 and during such. movement of.

sleeve 66 the safety spring 14 will be compressed.

Thus. the handle 56 may be idled evenv though thev latch mechanism is locked and the maximum force which can be transmitted by the. plunger 68 against the arm 4 is that which is built up by compression of the safety spring 14 This. spring is designed so,- that the maximum possiblepressure of the plunger 68 against arm 4 will be substantially less than the load which can be safely taken by the latch mechanism and thus.

idling movement of the handle 56.- cannot result in damage to the latch. When handle 56 reaches its fully extended position with the edge 18 of bracket 51 in engagement with the end wall 64 of housing H", as seen in phantom lines in Figure 2, any further pull on the handle will be absorbed by the housing H" and the door structure and thus under no circumstances can the latch mechanism be, injured by forces exerted on the handle 56.

It will be noted that in the illustrated embfoidiment of my invention the movement of the manually operable handle or the like in latch releasing direction is limited by a fixed stop on the frame or housing which is located to be effective to limit releasing movement of the handle before the safety spring reaches its maximum yielding position (the position in which it acts as a solid member rather than as a resilient spring member). As noted above this makes it impossible to overload the latch mechanism.

Although I have described in considerable detail my improved safety handle control mechanism for door latches or the like it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made in the arrangement and proportions of the parts which make up my improved apparatus. Accordingly I do not wish to be limited to the specific form herein shown and described but claim as my invention all embodiments thereof coming within the scope of the appended claims.

This application is a division of prior application Serial No. 8,565, filed February 16, 1948, for Control Mechanism for Door Latches (Patent No. 2,573,679, dated November 6, 1951).

I claim:

1. Control mechanism for a door latch including a supporting frame structure mounted on the door; an exteriorly accessible manually operable handle pivotally supported on the frame structure for movement between a non-operating neutral position and a latch-releasing position; a bracket portion at the inner end of the handle, the walls of said bracket portion defining an enclosure facing away from the handle and toward the interior of the frame structure; means on the bracket portionv preventing excessive. movement.- of. the. handleout of none-operating; neutral position in latch-releasing, direction; spring. means springq'of light'construction; and, disposed within the. enclosure defined bythe walls of. the-v bracket portion, av collapsible. member for trans.

mitting to the latch forces imposed on thehandle by the act of moving: it: out. of. neutralnon operating; position in latch-releasing direction. said. collapsible member being; biased by said spring:

means toward thepositionwhich it assumesw-hen the. handle is in non-roperating. neutral position;

' 2. Contr'olmechanismfor. a door; latch include ing a supporting frame structure mounted on the door; an exteriorly accessible manually--oper-- able handle pivotally supported on the frame structure. for movement between. a. non-operating. neutral position; and a latchrreleasing' plosition; a bracket portion at .the inner end. ofthe handle... the walls. of said bracket. portion. defining an. enclosure facing away from. the. handle and. to.- ward the interior of the frame structur'e';-; spring means interposed between the bracket portion and the frame structure including two. springs in axial alignment with each other, one a safety spring of heavy construction and the other a return spring of light construction; and, disposed within the enclosure defined by the walls of thebracket portion, a collapsible member for transmitting to the latch forces imposed on the handle by the act of movingv it out of neutral non-operating position in latch-releasing direction, said collapsible member being biased by said spring means toward the position which it assumes when the handle is in non-operating neutral posi.- tion.

3. Mechanism as in claim 2 in which the collapsible member is of telescopicconstruction.

4. Mechanism as in claim 3 in which the collapsible member includes a plunger and a surrounding sleeve.

5. Control mechanism for a door latch including a supporting frame mounted on the door; an exteriorly accessible manually operable member supported on the frame for movement between anQn-Qperating neutral position and a latch-releasing position, said manually operable member having therein a recess facing toward the interior of the frame; telescopic plunger means disposed in the recess in the manually operable member, said plunger means projecting beyond the recess in the manually'operable member into juxtaposition to the latch; and. acting on said plunger means, a first resilient member of a low degree of resilience'and a second resilient member of a high degree of. resilience, said resilient members being aligned with each other.

6. Mechanism as in claim 5 in which the resilient member of a high degree of resilience takes the form of a coil spring or relatively light construction.

7. Mechanism as in claim 5 in which the resilient member of a low degree of resilience takes the form of a coil spring or relatively heavy construction. I

8. Mechanism as in claim 5 in which each of the two resilient members takes the form of a coil spring.

9. Control mechanism for a door latch including a supporting frame structure mounted on the door; an exteriorly accessible manually operable handle pivotally supported on the frame struc-' ture for movement between a non-operating neutral position and a latch-releasing position; a bracket portion at the inner end of the handle, the walls of said bracket portion defining an enclosure facing away from the handle and towardthe interior of the frame structure; stop means on the bracket portion for preventing excessive movement of the handle out of nonoperating neutral position in latch-releasing direction; stop means on the'frame structure operating with the stop means on the bracket portion; spring means interposed between the bracket portion and the frame structure, said spring means comprising a safety spring of heavy construction and, in alignment therewith, a return spring of light construction; and, disposed within the enclosure defined by the walls of the bracket portion, telescopic plunger means for transmitting to the latch forces imposed on the handle by the act of moving it out of non-operating neutral position in latch-releasing direction, said collapsible member being biased by said spring means toward the position which it assumes when the handle is in non-operating neutral position.

10. Control mechanism for a door latch including a supporting frame mounted on the door; an exteriorly accessible manually operable handle pivotally supported on the frame for movement between a non-operating neutral position and a latch-releasing position; a bracket portion at the inner end of the handle, the Walls of said bracket portion defining an enclosure facing away from the handle and toward the interior of the frame; stop means on the bracket portion for preventing excessive movement of the handle out of nonoperating neutral position in latch-releasing direction; stop means on the frame cooperating with the stop means on the bracket portion;

spring means interposed between the frame and the handle, said spring means consisting of a first coil spring of light construction and, opposing it, a second coil spring of heavy construction; a plunger within the coil spring of light construction, said plunger extending therefrom into juxtaposition to the latch; and, intervening between the plunger and the coil spring of heavy construction, thrust means for transmitting to the plunger forces imposed on the handle by the act of moving. it out of nonoperating neutral position in latch-releasing direction.

11. Control mechanism'for a door latch including a supporting frame mounted on the door; an exteriorly accessible manually operable member supported on the frame for movement between a non-operating neutral position and a latch-releasing position, said manually operable member having therein a recess facing toward the interior of the frame; plunger means disposed in the recess in the manually operable member, a portion'of said plunger means projecting beyondthe recess in the manually operable member into juxtaposition to the latch; a movable abutment member cooperating with said plunger means; and, acting in opposition to each other, a first coil spring of a low degree of resilience and a second coil spring of a high degree of resilience, the adjacent ends of said coil springs seating on and being separated from each other by said abutment member.

EDWIN L. ALLEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,202,916 Mussa June 4, 1940 2,228,674 Raymond Jan. 14, 1941 2,258,917 Patzer et al Oct. 14, 1941 

